Fact Check

No, Chick-fil-A Isn't Giving Away Gift Baskets

A post circulating on Facebook falsely offers a Chick-fil-A gift basket.

Published Oct. 26, 2020

 (Wikimedia Commons)
Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
Claim:
Fast-food chain Chick-fil-A is giving away a gift basket to customers who share or comment on a Facebook post.

In late October 2020, Facebook users shared a scam posing as a giveaway from fast-food chain Chick-fil-A.

The scam contained text claiming it was posted by a Chick-fil-A regional manager named Travis Porter, who promised that in commemoration of the company's 61st anniversary, anyone who shared the post or commented on it would receive "gift-baskets containing a $35 Chick-fil-A gift-card plus surprises that will make your heart flutter!"


A spokeswoman for Chick-fil-A confirmed the post above is not a legitimate offer from the company, and that Chick-fil-A is "currently working with Facebook to have the post removed."

Scams offering free merchandise in honor of companies' anniversaries are fairly common, and the post above appears to be a variation of one such scam. Chick-fil-A is also a frequent target of "meal giveaway" scams. For example, in January 2020, another scam falsely offered Facebook users a free meal at Chick-fil-A.

And for the record, Chick-fil-A traces its origins back to 1946, which would make the company 74 years old as of this writing — not 61.

Sources

Palma, Bethania. "No, Chick-fil-A Isn’t Giving Away Free Meals on Facebook Messenger."    Snopes.   24 January 2020.

Chick-fil-A.com. "Company History."   Accessed 26 October 2020.

Bethania Palma is a journalist from the Los Angeles area who started her career as a daily newspaper reporter and has covered everything from crime to government to national politics. She has written for ... read more